Totems
Totems -Every Shaman follows some kind of totem; a being or essence of higher power to whom they pay homage, attempt to embody and gain their powers from. -Most totems have some forms of magic that their follows are better at performing, and some forms of magic that their followers are worse at performing. When the totem gives a benefit to a particular magic style, it acts as a tie breaker in the shaman's favor. When it gives a penalty to a particular style of magic, it acts as a tie breaker in the shaman's enemy's favor. -Each totem has a "domain", a type of environment that it is tied to. Lodges, shrines, churches, and the like that are dedicated to these totems can only be within the listed environment. Because such lodges are required for higher magics performed by shamans, only totems who can have lodges established in the city are listed here (contact Koji Starr for questions about other totems or higher powers to follow). -When using magic, a subtle illusionary effect begins to overtake the shaman which causes them to look more like their totem. The stronger the magic being used, the more noticeable the effect becomes. -Interpret the ideals of your totem any way you want, but you MUST RP the ideals of your totem. The totem has "chosen" your character because they are someone who already embodies the ideals that the totem stands for (they aren't forcing you to do it, they chose you because you want to do it). Totems :Adversary: The adversary was the first rebel and is dedicated to usurping power and authority. Proud and willful, the Adversary is also a cruel and unfeeling cynic who would prefer to destroy the world if he cannot control it. Environment: Everywhere Benefit: Combat and manipulation sorcery. Disadvantage: If injured in any way, prone to going berserk and assaulting everything in sight until they're brought down, especially favoring authority figures. :Bacchus: Bacchus is the Idol of motion and revelry. He is a lover and a dancer and revels in unbridled passion. Bacchus shamans appreciate music and poetry, but they are also self-indulgent and irresponsible. Very few such shamans can fulfill long-term relationships or obligations they are too easily distracted and caught up in the moment. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Illusion sorcery and conjuring spirits of man. Disadvantage: Very flighty and prone to getting distracted, all magic use being harder when something pretty or more interesting comes along. :Bat: Bat is well-traveled, rarely staying in one place. A seeker, she sets far-reaching goals and gets restless when not moving. She is adaptable and can make herself at home anywhere. Bat shamans get distracted and irritable if forced to stay in one place for more than a week. Environment: Anywhere Benefit: Detection and manipulation sorcery and conjuring spirits of the sky. Disadvantage: All magic use when in direct light. :Cat: Cat is honored in cultures around the world. She is stealthy, sly and rather vain. Cat knows many secrets, but shares fwe of them. Cat shamans tend to be loners who keep their own council. They are fastidiously clean and presentable whenever possible. Cat shamans generally toy with their opponents---threatening, taunting and confusing---rather than going directly for the kill. Environment: Urban Benefit: Using illusion sorcery and conjuring city spirits Penalty: Negative tie breaker when unclean :Coyote: Coyote the Trickster is a uniquely North American totem. He is unpredictable and ever-changing; bold one minute, cowardly the next. Old Man Coyote can be a friend or a deceiver. He is intensely curious and fond of taking risks just for the fun of it. Coyote shamans are independent and refuse to be bound by anything other than their word. They live by their own rules, surviving on wit and charm. Environment: Anywhere on land Benefit/Penalty: None :Creator: The great artisan, the Creator shuns the splendor of his fellow Idols, preferring instead to tinker with the creations. Though this Idol did not create the world, he did create many of its treasures. Even more than his finished handiwork, the Creator loves what is yet to be created. His mind is so full of plans and ideas that deceit and intrigue have no place there; there are many legends of others taking advantage of his nature. Like their Idol, Creator shamans often find dealing with people awkward and uncomfortable. Though trusting by nature, they make bitter and determined enemies when wronged. Environment: Urban or forest. Benefit: Conjuring spirits of man. Disadvantage: Combat sorcery :Dog: Dog is a loyal friend honored by shamans around the world. He fights ferociously to defend his home and those under his protection. Dog shamans protect people from harmful magic and dangerous spirits. They are loyal, generous and helpful to those who show them kindness and loyalty in return. They are single-minded, often to the point of stubbornness. Environment: Urban Benefit: Using detection sorcery and conjuring hearth spirits. Disadvantage: Manipulation spells and conjuring spirits of the sky. :Dragonslayer: The most heroic of Idols is also the most fun-loving. Though he fights to protect his own against all dangers, he loves a good party even more. Heis a big brother who takes a friendly interest in everything his family does. Though sometimes naive, he makes a staunch friend and a deadly enemy. The dragons he slays have changed with the times. In addition to the literal dragons of legend, the Dragonslayer also fights such modern-day monsters as crime, pollution and corruption. Dragonslayer shamans fight hard to play hard. Once the shaman has given his loyalty, he never breaks it. A Dragonslayer shaman must behave with honor and respect and demands the same from those around him. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Combat sorcery and conjuring hearth spirits. Disadvantage: Illusion and detection sorcery. :Fire-Bringer: The Fire-Bringer stole the secret of fire from the heavens and gave it to humanity as a gift and a tool. He is a figure of kindness and concern, but his good intentions sometimes get him into trouble and his plans sometimes fail to work out the way he envisions them. He is a shaper and a creator, forming new things from the primal clay and breathing the fiery spark of life into them. Fire-Bringer shamans devote themselves to the betterment of others even at their own expense. Most Fire-Bringer shamans devote themselves to a particular cause they follow with great zeal. Environment: Urban Benefit: Detection and manipulation sorcery and conjuring spirits of man. Disadvantage: Illusion sorcery. :Fox: Fox is the essence of sly wit and cunning. He is a master thief and trickster. Fox often uses human bounty to sustain him. He does not care for battle, preferring to outwit or trick his opponents. When forced into battle, Fox always fights to kill, not to stun or capture. Environment: Anywhere on land Benefit: Illusion magic and conjuring any one spirit of the land or man (pick one) :Gargoyle: A creature of living stone, Gargoyle is patient, able to remain motionless for hours, silently observing. He is a fierce fighter, willing to wait and watch for the ideal moment to strike and rend his prey. From his silent perch high above the city, Gargoyle sees much and knows the value of knowledge. Gargoyle shamans prefer to carefully observe and gather information before making a move, planning their actions for maximum advantage. They refuse to act hastily and retreat if caught unaware, to plot their next move. Environment: Urban Advantage: Detection and illusion sorcery and conjuring city spirits. Disadvantage: Conjuring spirits of the water and must live in a very high up place. :Gator: Found among shamans living near swamps and rivers, Gator also flourishes among urban shamans, since legend has it that he dwells in the sewers and storm drains of the city. He is ill-tempered and lazy, a strong fighter and a big eater. Gator shamans like big payoffs that allow them to take it easy for a while. It can take a hefty argument to talk a Gator shaman into any unnecessary exertion, but once a gator shaman decides to do something, it is just as difficult to talk him out of it. Environment: Swamp, river, or urban. Benefit: Combat and detection sorcery and conjuring city spirits. Disadvantage: Illusion sorcery. :Gecko: Fast moving and always on the lookout, Gecko is impossible to pin down. He is a prankster but not a thief. Extremely adaptable and difficult to kill, Gecko always manages to get into places where he shouldn't go. Unfortunately, he often brings his friends along for the fun. Environment: Anywhere Benefit: Illusion OR manipulation sorcery (pick one) Disadvantage: Combat sorcery :Great Mother: The Great Mother is the embodiment of life-giving nature, giving her bounty freely to all who need it. Those who mistake her generosity for weakness are asking for trouble. Like any mother, she fights to the death to protect her children. Followers of the Great Mother are healers, both of the body and the spirit; they cannot refuse aid to anyone who needs it. Shamans of the Great Mother follow the strictest moral code. They must fight against the forces of corruption, whether they be environmental, social, political or magical. Environment: Anywhere Benefit: Health sorcery and conjuring forest and all water spirits. Disadvantage: All magic use when in the presence of political, social or environmental corruption. :Horned Man: The embodiment of procreative power and energy, the Horned Man is the unfettered lord of the wild. Ancient and animalistic, he is ruled by instinct. Physical action and sensation shape his world, including brawling and lewd behavior. Of all the Idols, he is the most traditionally masculine, and male-dominated groups often venerate him. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Combat sorcery and all spirits of the land. Disadvantage: Find it almost impossible to refuse combat or sexual advances. :Lover: Beauty and passion incarnate, the Lover is desired by all. She is the perfect beauty but also embodies the irrationality and jealousy of lust. Her beauty makes her the object of attention, but also the focus of a great deal of trouble. She is proud and often vain and will frequently take vengeance on mortals who spurn her or reject her beauty. The Lover is most often female, but some male examples do exist. Followers of the Lover are themselves quite vain and obsessed with their own appearance. Environment: Urban Benefit: Illusion and control manipulation sorcery. Disadvantage: None :Moon Maiden: The Moon Maiden is the Idol of the night sky. Moody, changeable, emotional, mysterious, sometimes gentle and pleasant and other times wild and uninhibited, she represents the triumph of woman's nurturing ways over man's destructive impulses. Not surprisingly, she is most venerated by women. A shaman of the Moon Maiden accepts no rules or restrictions save for her own convictions and the laws of Nature. Environment: Anywhere. Benefit/Disadvantage: None :Mouse: Mouse knows just where to find the right thing for every situation. She is clever and resourceful; her wisdom often helps fierce and proud totems like Lion and Wolf out of trouble, showing them the common sense they might otherwise miss. Mouse is no one's enemy and, if she has a flaw, it is that curiosity sometimes gets the better of her. Mouse shamans tend to be hoarders, collecting all manner of junk along with useless information and trivia, storing everything away "for a rainy day." Environment: Urban or fields. Benefit: Detection and health sorcery and conjuring hearth spirits. Disadvantage: Combat sorcery. :Owl: Owl is wise and sees all. She rules the night sky and what she hunts, she finds. By day, she is nearly helpless. Owl is honored by cultures around the world, although some consider her appearance a bad omen. Owl shamans are nocturnal loners well-suited for life in the shadows. Their magic is weaker during the day, and owl shamans tend to remain in the shadows, even during daytime. Environment: Anywhere Benefit: Sorcery and conjuring in darkness Disadvantage: Sorcery and conjuring in the light. :Polecat: Slinky and clever, playful but rough, Polecat prefers to tackle problems that she can sink her teeth into. A night hunter, she can be both tenacious and bloodthirsty. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Combat sorcery and conjuring spirits of the land. Disadvantage: Health sorcery. Goes crazy in combat, attacking one single target until they kill them, or are killed or stopped themselves. :Prairie Dog: Prairie Dog is playful, fun-loving and friendly. He is not naive, however, always keeping an eye out for danger. He relies on his family and friends to help him as he helps them. Prairie Dog shamans pride themselves on making friends with neighbors and building a support network. They always know multiple ways of getting somewhere and rarely follow the same rout twice in a row. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Detection and illusion sorcery and conjuring spirits of the land. Disadvantage: Combat sorcery. :Raccoon: Raccoon is a cunning bandit who can break into any trap and steal the bait. He fights when he must, but prefer strategy and trickery. Raccoon shamans are intensely curious, which often leads them into danger. They can be greedy (Raccoon is a thief totem) and many steal only the very best. Petty thefts and violent robberies are beneath a Raccoon shaman's dignity. Environment: Anywhere but the desert. Advantages: Manipulation sorcery and conjuring city spirits. Disadvantage: Combat sorcery. :Rat: Rat is found wherever humans are, for who else's bounty can sustain him? Rat is a stealthy thief too selfish to share anything. He is a coward who would rather run than fight. Rat shamans tend to be dirty and unkempt. They dislike working out in the open, preferring to stick to the shadows. Rat shamans avoid fights whenever they can. When they must fight, they fight to kill. Environment: Urban Benefit: Detection and illusion sorcery and conjuring city spirits. Disadvantage: Combat sorcery. :Raven: Raven is the harbinger of trouble in cultures world-wide. He is a trickster, dark and devious, and a transformer, responsible for changes. Raven thrives off the bounty of carnage and chaos, but does not cause them. He merely knows an opportunity when he sees one. Raven shamans love to eat, and rarely refuse an offer of food. Environment: Anywhere under the open sky. Benefit: Manipulation sorcery and conjuring sky spirits. Disadvantage: Any magic use while not under the open sky. :Seductress: The Seductress is the incarnation of the corruption of the body and mind. She has many desires and vices that she must frequently satisfy. She encourages jealousy and greed and seeks to inflame the wants of others. She avoids direct confrontation but gains pleasure when others fight for her attention or on her behalf. She exists to exploit weaknesses and will not hesitate to sacrifice those who get in her way. Environment: Urban Benefit: Illusion and control manipulation sorcery and conjuring spirits of man. Disadvantage: Find it very hard to avoid indulging in vice when it is offered (drugs, sex, ect). :Sky Father: The Sky Father is the masculine counterpart to the Great Mother. He is the patriarch many say eclipsed the worship of the earth goddess over time. He is known for his clear sight and rulership over all he surveys as well as the terrible mastery of the she conveys. Lightning and thunder are his weapons, and nothing in the world escapes his view from his high throne. Environment: Anywhere under the open sky. Benefit: Detection and manipulation sorcery and conjuring storm spirits. Disadvantage: All magic use when bound or entrapped. :Snake: Snake is wise and knows many secrets. She is a good councilor, but always exacts a price for her advice. Snake shamans are pacifists; they only fight to protect themselves and others. Snake shamans are obsessed with learning secrets and take great risks in order to do so. They trade their knowledge to others for whatever they can get in exchange. Environment: Anywhere on land. Benefit: Detection, health and illusion sorcery and when conjuring spirits of man. Disadvantage: Any magic use while in combat. :Spider: Spider is the great weaver, the builder of all things. Her web links everything, showing what was and what will be. She is eternal change, the cycle of life and death, the center of all things. Her smile is both benevolent and fearsome, according to the time and her mood. She waits patiently, for in time, all things come to her. Environment: Dark, hidden places. Benefit: Illusion sorcery and conjuring all nature spirits. Disadvantage: All magic use without an escape rout, plan and while in the open. :Sun: Sun is noble, heroic, flamboyant and courageous. Sun is an inspiration to his followers and a natural leader by example. All living things draw sustenance from his life-giving light. Sun is a supreme power for creation as well as destruction. From his place in the sky, he can observe all and rule justyle. A sun shaman refuses to follow any cause he believes is unjust. They maintain the highest possible standard for themselves and strive to excel at whatever they choose to do. Environment: Anywhere under the open sky. Benefit: Combat, detection and health sorcery, and for conjuring all spirits conjured in direct light. Disadvantage: All conjuring in darkness. :Thunderbird: Thunderbird is a majestic creature who is storm incarnate. His wings are dark clouds, his beak and claws lightning and his cries the clap of thunder. He is a primal force, often savage but necessary to the survival of the land and the continuation of the cycle of life. Thunderbird is a force to be respected and approached with great care, lest his anger be roused. Environment: Under the open sky. Benefit: Combat and detection sorcery and conjuring storm spirits. Disadvantage: All magic use when not under the open sky. Prone to savage fury when in combat, attacking one person until they are dead or disabled (or they themselves are killed or taken down). :Trickster: The Trickster is the clever one, swift of mind and body, master of disguises and deception. He is always thinking up new pranks and new ways to outwit his enemies rather than fighting them. He prefers to work in the service of others, turning and stealing behind their backs when they aren't looking. His tricks can often backfire, resulting in trouble for everyone, but the Trickster's cleverness always wins out int he end. Environment: Anywhere. Benefit/Disadvantage: None :Wind: Wind is a lofty force who makes his way through available spaces and openings. Wind is also a chaotic force, much like any untamed beast. Wind shamans are capricious. They obey no restraints other than what they impose on themselves. A Wind shaman can go from total calm to a flurry of activity with startling suddenness. They strongly dislike being tied down or restricted. Environment: Anywhere under the open sky. Benefit: Detection sorcery and conjuring spirits of the sky. Disadvantage: All magic use while not under the open sky. :Wise Warrior: The Wise Warrior is skilled in the art of war, for battle is an art to her, an exercise in the powers of the mind as well as the body. She studies the tactics of her foes and overcomes them through a combination of superior strategy and battle prowess. The Wise Warrior does not act out of savagery or battle-lust but from a position of knowledge and wisdom. Shamans of this Idol must follow the warrior's code of honor and conduct themselves properly or risk a loss of favor. Environment: Urban Benefit: Combat and detection sorcery and a distinct ability to resist damage causing magicks. Disadvantage: Illusion sorcery.